Do-Jun checked the calendar and saw that it was December 24th. Since winter had arrived, time seemed to flow even faster. It felt like only yesterday that Do-Jun had returned to Earth, yet the year was already coming to an end. As he wore a coat over his suit to go to work, Byeol, lying in the living room, wriggled slightly. Though not necessarily susceptible to the cold, she would stay under the electric blanket whenever she was in the living room. It looked like she was still fast asleep. Realizing it was Christmas Eve, Do-Jun got lost in thought for a moment before stepping out for his commute. In the break room of Seoul City Hall’s Fissure Management Division, the TV was tuned to a new channel. ⌜Next, the weather. This week, we’re expecting record-breaking cold waves with temperatures dropping to minus 19°C, along with strong winds. Additionally, heavy rain is forecasted for the early hours, so don’t forget your umbrellas. And...⌟ Hot steam rose into the air as the lid of the cup noodles was peeled back. Cheol-Soo, watching the evening news weather forecast, clicked his tongue in dismay. Beside him, Hyuk-Soo seemed equally disappointed. A record cold snap and heavy rain on Christmas? It wasn’t exactly ideal. “Well, I suppose this Christmas is ruined,” Cheol-Soo muttered, slurping his noodles with a bitter laugh. While some could dismiss Christmas as just another holiday, it undeniably carried a different mood. It brought excitement to couples, warmth to families, and eager anticipation of gifts for children. Do-Jun had been quietly watching the screen that displayed a weather icon with an umbrella as he rested his chin on his hand. “Well...” he said, and the two eating noodles looked at him. Do-Jun looked at them and said, “Snow would probably be better for the Christmas atmosphere, right?” “Of course. A white Christmas would be the best,” Hyuk-Soo replied with a nod. By now, his noodles were gone, leaving only broth. His eyes wandered to the stacks of paperwork piled high in the conference room. With the year-end approaching, they had to compile and report their annual performance, resulting in back-to-back overtime. “At least we got through this year without any major incidents,” Cheol-Soo said with a chuckle. Unlike previous years, which had seen large-scale casualties from incidents like Fissure Breaks, this year had been unusually calm, with only minor incidents. Recalling last year’s Fissure-related accidents, Hyuk-Soo put his chopsticks down. He remarked, “It’s been like that ever since Do-Jun got discharged from the hospital, hasn’t it?” “Huh? Oh, yeah. Now that I think about it, things did quiet down after you changed, Do-Jun. The timing lines up perfectly,” Cheol-Soo said, glancing at Do-Jun, whose gaze was fixed on the cityscape beyond the office windows. He always had this air about him, completely different from when he first joined, like someone who had seen and understood everything—a pioneer of sorts. It was fascinating. “All right, let’s get back to work if we’re done eating,” Cheol-Soo said. Overtime nights were always long for office workers. Meanwhile, in the forecast department of the Meteorological Administration in the metropolitan area, Team Leader Choi stretched his legs on the desk and let out a deep sigh. Displayed on his monitor was a video conference system, which he had recently used to conclude a forecast discussion with the meteorologists. These discussions took place every eight hours. Afterward, the forecast data would be relayed to various media outlets and disaster response agencies. Exhausted from the late hour, Choi was about to close his eyes when Jang Ho-Soo, who handled the Seoul forecast, approached him. “Nice work today, sir,” Jang Ho-Soo said in greeting. “Ugh. I swear, after this year, I’m handing in my resignation. This job’s cutting my lifespan short.” “Don’t you think we’ll both live long since we take complaints all the time?”[1] Although his subordinate’s joke was cheeky, it managed to lift the mood, and Choi’s expression softened. As a twenty-year veteran, he was especially fond of Jang Ho-Soo, who was always polite and cheerful. Even when citizens cursed him over inaccurate weather forecasts, Jang Ho-Soo would just laugh it off. “I’ll relay the forecast now,” Jang Ho-Soo said. “Thanks. Be sure to take an umbrella when you leave—it’s going to rain.” Choi decided to shut his eyes for a bit. Byeol clung to the balcony window like a sticker, gazing outside. After a while, she rolled over and slipped between the electric blanket and the comforter spread out in the living room. From there, she stared at the small Christmas tree tucked in a corner. Its various ornaments lent a cozy atmosphere to the home. But the most important decorations were the stockings—two of them hanging on the tree, each containing a folded piece of paper. Yoon-Hee had explained that if she wrote down what she wanted and put it in the stockings, Santa would come and leave her a gift. “I hope Santa comes soon, wight, Yong-Yong?” Byeol asked Yong-Yong, who, for some reason, hadn’t hung anything. When she asked why, Yong-Yong only repeated, “It’s fine,” without giving a proper explanation. She squirmed under the blanket for a while before pulling out a warmed chocolate bun. As she munched on it, the sound of someone entering the PIN into the automatic lock echoed from the front door. Too lazy to get up, Byeol rolled herself toward the door. When it opened, she saw Do-Jun stepping inside. Byeol leaped to her feet, wrapping her arms around his leg and nuzzling her face against him. Do-Jun chuckled and lifted her into his arms. After Do-Jun stepped out of the shower, Byeol ran up to him, her voice urgent. “Daddy, you need to hang a stocking!” Do-Jun glanced at the two socks hanging from the Christmas tree. Yoon-Hee must have explained things well to the kids. But why were there only two? “If you hang one, Santa will bwing gifts!” Byeol exclaimed with excitement. “And if I don’t?” Do-Jun asked her. “No stocking, no gift!” “I’ve already received plenty of gifts.” Do-Jun smiled. “Yup.” “Wow! Did you meet Santa?” “No, but I’ve got lots of gifts.” “Okie.” Byeol tilted her head, clearly puzzled, but decided to accept his explanation for now. Do-Jun chuckled softly, finding her confusion endearing. He decided to check the notes inside the socks later to get the right gifts and sat down at the dining table. Yoon-Hee handed him a cup of hot chocolate. Do-Jun thanked her, then took a sip that spread warmth and sweetness through his body. Karsiel was decorating the tree with Byeol, while Yong-Yong sat nearby, browsing the internet on his SpacePad with an unusually serious expression. Yoon-Hee leaned toward Do-Jun and whispered, “Yong-Yong found out online that Santa isn’t real.” That explained why he hadn’t hung a stocking, and the thought brought a smile to Do-Jun’s face. Follow current novᴇls on novel✦fire.net Yoon-Hee sat across from him and gazed out the balcony window. The overcast sky looked gloomy, and the weather forecast had predicted rain starting at dawn, which was a bit disappointing. “I was hoping for a white Christmas...” she muttered. She knew that the weather couldn’t be changed at will, but the lingering disappointment kept her staring outside. She clasped the mug of hot chocolate with both hands, taking small sips. Though tomorrow’s forecast promised colder weather, the warmth of the hot chocolate made the room feel warmer. Late that night, with everyone asleep, a calm silence enveloped the city. Contrary to the prediction of heavy rain, large snowflakes started falling from the sky, and there was no record-breaking cold. It was just an ordinary winter night. A small white spirit floated across the sky, yawning repeatedly as if still half-asleep. Do-Jun, having been watching the snow spirit from the balcony, smiled and stepped back inside, his gaze shifting to the two stockings hanging on the Christmas tree. The next morning at 9 AM, Yoon-Hee rubbed her eyes as she woke up. “Hmm...?” She glanced outside, her mouth parting slightly in surprise. The gloomy clouds from the night had disappeared without a trace, replaced by a dazzling white blanket of snow covering the ground. Even now, it was still snowing lightly. “Done!” Byeol’s voice rang out from the living room after she finished her breakfast. When Yoon-Hee opened the door and looked into the living room, she saw Byeol hopping off a chair in the kitchen after finishing a bowl of soup. Do-Jun wiped the remnants of soup from Byeol’s mouth and dressed her in a thick fur coat. Together with Yong-Yong and Karsiel, who were waiting by the entrance, they stepped outside. Yoon-Hee walked out onto the balcony and looked down to see the villa’s children already playing in the snow. The forecast had predicted heavy rain, but not a single drop had fallen—only piles of snow. “Woooooohoooo!” The children’s laughter grew louder as they noticed Byeol, Yong-Yong, and Karsiel. Everyone was bundled up in thick coats. Although the weather wasn’t as frigid as the record-breaking cold spell predicted, the thermometer confirmed a manageable 2°C. Choi had fallen asleep at his desk. When he opened his eyes because of the unusually noisy office, he saw the second team leader from the forecasting department, who had worked the night shift, pacing around with wide eyes. When Choi asked what was going on, he was told that instead of rain, heavy snow had fallen all night. Hearing that, he felt a deep sense of dread, realizing he might have made a major mistake. He immediately checked the data at the observation center. The results from the supercomputer, based on the observation equipment’s data, had seemed reliable—but how could there be such a large discrepancy? Instead of dropping to below-freezing temperatures as expected, the current temperature was holding steady at 2°C. “What the hell is wrong with the weather? Has it gone mad?” yelled Choi. “I have no idea. I reported it to the manager first thing this morning, and everyone’s going crazy.” The second team leader let out a long sigh. This wasn’t the first time something had happened. Twice this year, the weather had deviated completely from the forecasts based on observed data. The second team leader said, “Honestly, do you think there’s really a weather spirit controlling things? You know, those rumors among Hunters. No one can confirm it, but...” Choi opened the window and saw that the world outside was blanketed in white. “Well, isn’t this something...” After playing outside for a long time, Byeol came home and noticed boxes under the Christmas tree. Carefully unwrapping one of the neatly wrapped gifts, she found a set of sixty-color crayons she had wanted for a while. Beneath the crayons was a box of chocolate buns! “Wow!” Byeol dashed excitedly to Do-Jun, saying, “Daddy! Santa came! Where is he?” “He left a while ago,” Do-Jun replied. “Oh... I guess he’s busy? He has to visit other kids too, wight?” Do-Jun patted Byeol’s head. Yong-Yong had been quietly watching Byeol and Karsiel as they excitedly tore into their gifts. Suddenly, he took out a new stocking and hung it on the tree. Then, he scribbled “Braised Ribs” on a piece of paper and hurriedly stuffed it into the stocking. Then, he rushed over to Do-Jun and asked, “M-Master! If Santa visits a house once, does he ever return?” Do-Jun chuckled softly, thinking that tonight’s dinner would be braised short ribs. 1. There’s a saying in Korea that the more you are disliked, the longer you’ll live. ☜